


Mighty heroes

by Ephy



Series: Street rat [10]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-26
Updated: 2014-07-26
Packaged: 2018-02-10 13:56:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2027574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ephy/pseuds/Ephy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Superman. It’s not that Jim didn’t like the man, but… he really didn’t like the man.<br/>And, apparently, he wasn't the only one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mighty heroes

Superman. It’s not that Jim didn’t like the man, but… he really didn’t like the man.

Of _course_ Superman saved people, or even cities, or cats from trees. Of course he looked like a good guy – even a nice one. But Jim just couldn’t stand the idea of him.

Perhaps it was his gothamite side – or just his cop side – that would be most of him – but _come on_. A superhero with so much power but perfect ethics who would selflessly help people from Earth? It sounded too good to be true.

Moreover, people didn’t evolve if someone kept doing what they should do themselves. Some might be inspired by his example, others would just wait for him to save them instead of helping themselves. For example, gothamites.

And finally, Superman wasn’t the kind of man who had actual training. Oh, he wasn’t _bad_ at it, he thought about what he was doing, he was just – a civilian. And nothing irked cops more than a civilian trying to play the hero.

Thank God, Batman was totally different. No powers, no great display of heroic gestures, no civilian reflexes. He stayed in the dark, working from the shadows, and sure didn’t look like an amateur playing with powers bigger than himself.

Jim knew, however, that Batman and Superman got along. He didn’t understand why and didn’t intend to. As long as Superman stayed away from his city, it was alright with him.

But knowing they were close, Jim assumed he also got along with Robin.

How stupid of him.

“I mean, the way he just _looks_ at you like he knew better! And, you know, _frowns_. He isn’t _Batman_ , he’s got nothing to say to me!”

The kid had been ranting for five good minutes. Apparently, he’d went to some JLA meeting with Batman and it didn’t end well.

“Seriously, commish’, he’s all mighty like if he was a freakin’ _god_ among us, when he doesn’t even _know_ how it is around here! Fuck, he ain’t no saint! No one is!”

Ah, gothamites.

“He must be annoying to talk with”, Jim admitted out loud.

“You’ve got no idea”, Robin sighed, sitting down at the roof’s ledge as if they weren’t several floors over the ground. “He’s… _judgmental_.”

Jim looked at the once skinny, aggressive kid who was now Robin. In the past two years, he’d put on some weight and muscle and learnt some manners, but he still looked and sounded much like the street kid he’d been. Hell, his smirk had only become meaner. From the point of view of most heroes, he probably seemed close to the criminals they fought.

Especially compared to his predecessor.

“You’re right”, Jim said. “He doesn’t know how it is. He isn’t from Gotham. I’m sure he isn’t the only hero who sounds wrong to you.”

Robin twitched a bit.

“He ain’t. But he’s the worst of them.”

“Probably because he has more responsibilities. It’s easy for journalist to criticize Superman for anything other heroes do.”

Jim once read that very article from the _Daily Planet_ about how people should stop making Superman an icon and hoping Superman would solve all their problems. It had been written by that journalist – Kant?

“He ain’t from Gotham!” The kid sounded offended. “No one would _dare_ to blame anyone but Batman about how _I_ behave!”

“Don’t forget they’re friends. Maybe Superman doesn’t want people to blame Batman either.”

Robin grumbled.

“I think he’s just an ass. Mister perfect, always so full of himself…”

“He doesn’t know how it is, but I’m sure he tries to do his best nonetheless. I don’t come from the bottom of society either, kid.”

“It’s not the same for you!” Robin said right away. “You work in the streets, you _get it_.”

Jim laughed.

“And you think I got it from the very first day I started as a rookie? No, kid. I had to learn, like everyone else. How old is Superman? He can’t be much older than 25, I’d say. It’s still very young. Of course you know more than him about life, but you learnt it the hard way. Give him some time.”

Robin gritted his teeth, but conceded the point.

Jim played with the cigarette he’d come to the roof to smoke, still unlit. He didn’t like to smoke in front of kids, but he was starting to badly need one.

“Not that I want to defend him, but if he doesn’t make the first move, why don’t you? If you have to work with him, you should try to have at least cordial relationships with the man.”

Robin jumped on his feet, making Jim’s heart miss a beat. He _still_ was but a feet away from the ledge.

“ _He_ is supposed to be the freakin’ boss of the freakin’ league!”

Jim raised his eyebrows.

“While you’re just a young sidekick?”

Robin closed his first, furious. Jim took the time to lit his cigarette and drew a puff.

“It’s up to you to prove them you’re more than that. Stop waiting for them to notice who you are. Show them. For example, by reaching out to Superman.”

Robin frowned. Then nodded, once.

“I’m hearing you.”

Jim smiled around his cigarette.

“I knew you would.”

Robin smirked and jumped from the roof. Jim looked at him until his shadow disappeared in the night. He wasn’t a stupid kid, nor a bad kid. He just needed some guidance.

A strange feeling came to knot Jim’s stomach. He shivered. He hoped Robin would talk to Superman soon. He didn’t know why, but he felt like there was very little time left to do so.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I wanted to write Clark's chapter and in the end, he isn't even in it ^^; But well, he already had his point of view about Jason, now we have Jason's on Clark (or Superman, anyway).
> 
> In my timeline, Jason became Robin at about 14, and I think he must have been about 16 (or 17 at most) when he died. So this oneshot happens very shortly before that.
> 
> Last point: I totally see Clark writing articles criticizing the way people make Superman an iconic figure because even if he wants to inspire people, he doesn't want people to worship him either ;)


End file.
